


A Year of Thursdays

by thebraveandthebroiled



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Poetry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-03-09 00:48:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 2,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13470174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebraveandthebroiled/pseuds/thebraveandthebroiled
Summary: "This is what we have built with our tiny moments." ~Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III





	1. The Storytellers

**Author's Note:**

> A poetry project following the exploits and shenanigans of the new campaign throughout the year.

_The Storytellers_

The Storytellers gather  
And excitement rises  
Steady as the tide filling the bay  
It’s been a long time waiting  
A winter cold, lonely, and grey

The Storytellers gather  
Beside the embers, beneath the moths  
Call us to come round, come round  
To share community and fellowship  
As they revel, delight, astound

The Storytellers gather  
Their humors bright  
And passions strong  
To pull us up, raise us high  
Away from thoughts dark and nights long

The Storytellers gather  
And it’s a sweet sort of magic  
Hearing voices that rise and fall, pitch and rebound  
A powerful, generous sort of magic  
To create faith and joy from sound

The Storytellers gather  
Giving freely their love and their truth  
And we’ll hold it close, hold it fast  
Prose turned to talismans  
For those days that spin and those which lash

The Storytellers gather  
And new worlds are born  
Though winds whistle and wolves howl  
We are a thousand minds dreaming  
Safe and jubilant and together now

The Storytellers gather  
Challenge and inspire  
Lay foundation to our hope  
Which becomes marvelous and mighty  
With ten thousand hands to hold

The Storytellers gather  
And kindle those sparks  
That glow and pulse deep inside  
A hundred thousand wishes  
Ignite into a hundred thousand lights

The Storytellers gathered  
One cold, dark, lonely night  
And when they went they left  
A sky filled and burning bright


	2. Fools

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An excerpt of a letter from brewer Rosemund of Trostenwald to her cousin Giselle on topics of weather, ale, and local gossip. 
> 
> “...now dearest let me tell you of the strange happenings since you’ve last visited.”

There are Fools in the Village  
Drawing shit on the walls and pissing in the lake  
I think one might be responsible for Pieter’s missing cane

There are Fools in the Village  
Rowdy, rough, and disreputable, seen going in and out of jail   
Even the ones with good grooming seem sly horn to tail

There are Fools in the Village  
Holding curious swords and curiouser histories  
And I will admit the stinky one too has an air of mystery

There are Fools in the Village  
With bluffs and cons and for every truth more lies  
With silver tongues and itching fingers and roaming restless eyes

There are Fools in the Village  
Brought in by some strange and shifting wind  
My dear, one can only imagine what chaos they’ll bring


	3. The Game of Yes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the road to Alfield Jester tells Nott about another game she knows...

There’s a game I like to play  
And it begins by saying yes

I see the providence of joy and I take it  
Sink my teeth in and smile  
With jam stained lips and cheeks dusted in sugar

I see the invocation of mischief and I revel in it  
Run full force and delight  
Turn the world upside down and belief inside out

I see the grace of friendship and I welcome it  
Hold out my hand and hope  
As fortunes are shared and a ring slides away

There’s a game I like to play  
And it begins by saying yes

It’s simple to say no  
And never try, never fail  
But how can you bake a tart  
If you never start a fire

It’s easy to say no  
And never worry, never fear  
But how can you share a joke  
If you always hold your breath

It’s tempting to say no  
And never falter, never be lost  
But how can you follow the Traveler  
If you refuse the journey

There’s a game I like to play  
And it begins by saying yes

Yes to bright new horizons  
Yes to the buffet of experiences before me  
Yes to being and becoming and beyond all I ever knew

There’s a game I like to play  
And it begins by saying yes


	4. Wayfaring Fools

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A excerpt of another letter from brewer Rosemund of Trostenwald to her cousin Giselle on topics of cabbage, pigs, and further elaboration on the local gossip.

“...and if Pieter’s damn pigs get into the garden one more time I swear I’ll drag that old goat to the Lawmaster myself. That reminds me those Fools too had been running about and causing quite the ruckus.

There were Fools in the Village  
Befuddling the guards and having orgies at the lake  
They were a curious lot sweet, strange, smelly, and too many faced 

There were Fools in the Village  
Always wandering about, doing uncanny things far too early or far too late  
Why yestermorn Ludy saw them carrying on with a demon’s head in the street 

There were Fools in the Village  
Heard brawling in the warehouse, seen buying a great many rounds  
I tell you dear one the volume of mischief they’re center of quite astounds

There were Fools in the Village  
Now the bath’s missing a knob and the general’s been turned round  
Some skein might get woven and Baumbauch’s parcels aren’t to be found

There were Fools in the Village  
Come in and gone out on that same peculiar shifting breeze  
One can only imagine where next they’ll go and who next they’ll tease

It was as I predicted Giselle and they were quite impressive in the amount of mischief wrought. Now, I’m eagerly awaiting the news from Alfield do write as soon as you are able it's been far too long since I've heard from you…”


	5. Patronage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fjord has seen things both great and terrible during his time at sea.

There are things we see, we should never know  
‘Neath the waters deep and dancing  
Strange things flow beyond the lighthouse glow

Slunk low 'neath the the undertow  
There’s creatures lovely and maddening  
Strange things flow beyond the lighthouse glow

When the stars hang high and moon’s filled low  
They hunt fey, sharp toothed, enchanting  
There are things we see, we should never know

Uncanny things lay strong folks low  
Turn good ones raving and ranting  
Strange things flow beyond the lighthouse glow

My ship and mates lay broken among the sands below  
And I encompassed by an eye **wa̧tch҉i͡ng** all entrancing  
There are things we see **pot̕e̛͜n͠t̵҉i̵͞al̶̢** we should never know 

Though I wander **l̢ea̕rn, g͟r̨ow̧** far from that maritime woe  
Those haunting...luring words keep advancing  
There are things we see **p͟r͜ovo̕k҉e̸** we should never know **C̨̜̳̭̝͕̪͓O̙̫N̝̭ͅS̵͓̫̝̱͔ͅͅU̡̘͇̰̰͔M̧̘͎̬̰̦͈E̟̯͍̜̮**  
Strange things flow **rew҉a҉r̸d̴** beyond the lighthouse glow  
**p̸at̢͠ie͘͜ņ͡c҉e͢͡...**


	6. Spring

We live our lives an overlapping cycle of seasons  
One laying on the next, folding over another in perpetuity

We plant our spring eternal   
Sharing flowers in fields and pastries from rusacks   
Exchanging tricks in taverns and nonsense in trees

We cast eager fields with tiny moments  
Pickle juice and picked pockets  
Dancing lights and moonlit sights

We propagate trust in the warmth of action  
Delighting in clever wordplay and cleverer tactics still  
Chasing through smokey streets and down tunnels deep 

We graft faith with each exchange   
Healing wounds and holding hands  
Carrying each other and caring for each other

We seed promise in wild grounds  
Blessings and incense and salt water  
Ball bearings and kisses and book money

We live our lives an overlapping cycle of seasons  
One laying on the next, folding over another in perpetuity

And in spring, we hope


	7. Bits and Bobs

Tagged on the door of a monastery classroom...

Homework fucking sucks  
Writing poetry is dumb  
School’s stupid, I’m done  
~Regards

\---

Nott tries her hand at some human poetry...

Sticks are canes  
Trinkets are shiny  
Caleb is wonderful  
And we are the Mighty Neiny 

Nott: How was that Caleb?  
Caleb: You can write poetry?! Wunderbar! This is amazing!! 

\---

Along with some truly magnificent pictures Jester likes to add in a verse or two to amuse the Traveler…

We met a man with slick hair and a lot of vanity  
And I talked him into writing a letter for me  
Cause he used to know my mother  
Ya know cause he used to fuck her  
And now we can take Fjord to the Academy

*below the poem is a doodle of Fjord with heart eyes*


	8. A Life Lived

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Molly's philosophy on life laid out in verse.

We move forward  
The Wheel spins as Fortuna turns  
Time beckoning while Fate churns 

We move forward  
The tapestry with finite thread, the festival already begun  
The star of so much sparkle, and the day half gone 

We move forward  
The roads always change and the waters mander  
And madness ever lies in gazing back to wonder 

We move forward  
Better to go somewhere, go anywhere, go away  
Than to stop, to stagnate, to decay

We move forward  
A cornucopia of places we’ll never see, experiences we’ll never know  
But we can’t know what those aren’t ‘til we travel, ‘til we grow

We move forward  
No future no later, nor any past any then  
Only the glorious present and an ever looming when

We move forward  
For the sights and delights, for kindness manifold  
More lovely than any platinum, any jewel, any gold

We move forward  
We fools dancing gaily along the cliff  
Bargaining danger and ruin for the beauty of a life well lived 

We move forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interesting that it was Molly's poem that tossed me into a writers block and it was Molly that got me back out of it.


	9. the sound of thunder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asar trusts in his mother.

there are loud noises  
many loud noises  
and i am scared  
i am scared  
but she will come  
will hold me  
and it will be well

there are people  
bad people  
they take me away  
and away  
but she will find me  
will take me home  
and it will be well

there is pain  
so much pain  
it hurts  
it hurts  
but she will come  
will heal me  
and it will be well

mama said listen  
listen to nature  
to the leaves  
to the birds  
i listen  
and i listen  
and i listen

and i hear  
far away  
the sound of thunder  
she _is_ coming  
it will be well


	10. Long May You Reign

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Off the beaten path, under the dancing lights, in warm taprooms, or merry festivals if you listen closely you can hear words in the whistling of the wind.

Be loud, my dears  
Brassy and bellicose  
Living in fanfare, walking in triumph

Be outrageous, my dears  
Shameless and spectacular  
Tell all who you are and they’ll do the same

Be bright, my dears  
Glint and glamour  
Light the sky and guide in glory

Be open, my dears  
Exuberant and enchanted  
A world to be filled with wonder and delight

Be kind, my dears  
Courageous and courteous  
Leave it better than you found, better for being there

Laugh, my dears  
Laugh and love and live  
Leave no regrets behind  
...and long, long may you reign


	11. Tomorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Beau got herself something nice with Keg (sex it’s sex, it’s lots of sex)._

Tomorrow can wait  
The future can hold  
Right now   
We’re a universe of wanting  
My hands pulling your plate  
Yours tearing my coat

Tomorrow can wait  
Alongside what happens next  
Right now  
I’ve only two concerns   
Marking your every inch and  
Savoring your hands grip ‘n’ tense

Tomorrow can wait  
As what troubles may fall  
Right now  
The curve of your bicep has my focus  
Rugged as it tosses my weight   
Beautiful as we almost take out a wall

Tomorrow can wait  
With all life’s moral exams  
Right now  
There is nothing more distracting than  
The burn of your cheek on my thigh  
The feel of your hair in my hands

Tomorrow can wait  
So too hindsight and doubt  
Right now  
There’s only you  
Swagger in your eyes  
Smirk on your mouth

Tomorrow can wait  
As well the morning light  
Right now  
There’s a bed too inviting  
A body too willing  
And a couple rounds left to fight

Tomorrow can wait  
And every fucking stress  
Right now  
I’ve you beneath me  
Handsome how you buck  
Stunning how you flex

Tomorrow can wait  
With tomorrow’s attacks  
Right now  
All I want to think on is   
Your teeth tattooing my neck   
Your nails entrenching my back

Tomorrow can wait  
As can goodbyes  
Right now  
Your warm and waiting   
Hair feathering my nose  
Hand tracing my sides

Tomorrow can wait  
Right now  
I’ve got myself something nice


	12. Loam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Caduceus talks about his past which is really his future. Lifecycles are funny like that._

Once I was a seed, filled with potential and blessed with good soil

Once I was a sprout, green leaf and curious, safe beneath the canopy

Once I was a sapling, stubborn with hard bark and roots dug deep

I am a still maturing, learning to hold against strange winds and long droughts

One day I may be majestic, with sheltering branches and roots far-flung

One day I will die as all things die, fall as all things fall become rot and duff

One day there will be a seed, may that I leave behind enough to make good soil


	13. Lament for Molly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Fjord has many regrets._

At night I wonder, did I kill you friend  
Doom you same as the mariner his albatross  
And is this the way it will always end

With my failure once again   
My dearth of strength, my weakness of thought  
At night I wonder, did I kill you friend

What a callow fool I have been   
To so miss weigh the danger, the cost   
And is this the way it will always end

We trying to move forward, trying to pretend  
Yet all still feel keenly your loss  
At night I wonder, did I kill you friend

Because there is no way to defend   
How much ruin I have wrought  
And is this the way it will always end

Though I try to fix, try to mend  
Try to make your memory not for naught  
At night I wonder, did I kill you friend  
And is this the way it will always end


End file.
